This story, like the last, is taken from the long Saga of Olaf Tryggvason contained in the Flateyjarbok, Vol. I, pp. 275-283. Its connection, however, with the story of that King is of the slightest. According to the opinion of Finnur Jonsson the story in its present form dates from the first half of the fourteenth century.

This story, like the Thattr of Nornagest, shows evidence of a definite structural plan and falls into three distinct parts. In the first two chapters the scene is laid among the gods, and the story is set in motion by the forging of a necklace for the goddess Freyja by some dwarfs. This is stolen by Loki and given to Othin, who refuses to restore it to Freyja till she promises to bring about a perpetual battle between two mighty kings.

Then in chs. III and IV we have an account of the adventures of a Viking prince named Soerli, from whom the story takes its (somewhat inappropriate) title. Soerli comes into contact (first as an enemy, later as a friend) with another prince called Hoegni, and this leads up to the main theme the friendship and subsequent quarrel of Hethin and Hoegni, in whose tragic fate Freyja’s promise is fulfilled. The perpetual battle between these two heroes is finally ended by one of Olaf Tryggvason’s men, and it is through this that the story comes to be introduced into his Saga.

The story of Hethin and Hoegni was a favourite one in the North. It is told in Skaldskaparmal, ch. 49 and in Saxo Grammaticus’ Danish History, Book V (Elton, pp. 195-198). The earliest Norse reference to it is to be found in Bragi’s Ragnarsdrapa, st-7. The story must also have been well known in the Orkneys, since we find the following verses in the Hattalykill by Jarl Roegnvald (1136-58) and an Icelandic skald Hall who flourished 1140-48.

Who planned to carry off Hild?
Who fight all day long?
Who will be reconciled at last?
Who incited the kings?
Hethin planned to carry off Hild;
The Hjathningar are always fighting;
They will be reconciled at last;
Hild incited the host.

Who reddens the keen blades?
Who chops meat for the wolf?
Who makes showers of helmets?
Who stirred up strife?
Harold reddened the keen blades;
The host chops meat for the wolf;
Hoegni makes the shower of helmets;
Hjarrandi stirred up strife!

In the Shetlands the story survived down to modern times in the form of a ballad known as Hildina, which was taken down by George Low from the recitation of an old man on the Isle of Foula in 1774. The Norwegian dialect (Norn) in which it is composed is so obscure as we have it in Low’s script as to be almost untranslatable, though a serious attempt at its interpretation has been made by Dr M. Haegstad in Skrifter udgivne af Videnskabsselskabet i Christiania, 1900 (Historisk-Filosofisk Klasse, II), with a very full discussion of all the linguistic difficulties involved. According to Low “The subject is a strife between a King of Norway and an Earl of Orkney, on account of the hasty marriage of the Earl with the King’s daughter in her father’s absence.” Further on he gives the substance of the ballad at greater length:

An Earl of Orkney, in some of his rambles on the coast of Norway, saw and fell in love with the King’s daughter of the country. As their passion happened to be reciprocal he carried her off in her father’s absence, who was engaged in war with some of his distant neighbours. On his return, he followed the fugitives to Orkney, accompanied by his army, to revenge on the Earl the rape of his daughter. On his arrival there, Hildina (which was her name) first spied him, and advised her now husband to go and attempt to pacify the King. He did so, and by his appearance and promises brought the King so over as to be satisfied with the match.

After this, with the introduction of a courtier Hiluge the story proceeds in a form totally different from anything found in the thattr, though an attempt has been made to connect it with the second part of the German poem Kudrun.

The story of Hethin and Hoegni however was not confined to Norway and its colonies; indeed it seems to have been popular throughout the whole Teutonic world. It forms the subject of the first part of the mediaeval German poem Kudrun, and characters from the story are mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon poems Widsith, , and Deor, ff.

For a treatment of the different versions of the story as it was known to men of old, the reader may be referred to Miss Clarke’s Sidelights on Teutonic History during the Migration Period (Cambridge, 1911), ff., and to Chambers’ Widsith, ff. It may be mentioned here that in the main points of the story the carrying off of Hild and the subsequent pursuit by the father all the versions are agreed. The German version, however, differs in many respects from those of the North (except that of the Hildina) especially in the fact that the combatants become reconciled. The various Scandinavian versions of the story also differ somewhat in detail among themselves. The story translated below is the only one which mentions the slaying by Hethin of Hoegni’s wife, and it is only here that Hethin is described as being of foreign origin. Moreover this is the only version in which the goddess Freyja is made responsible for the Unending Battle. Indeed the supernatural element, and especially the influence of charms and spells, is more prominent in this version than in any of the others. It is only here, too, that we find the story of Goendul and the “potion of forgetfulness.” On the other hand our version contains no reference to the statement made in Skaldskaparmal and Saxo that it was Hild who by her magic spells restored the dead to life each night.

In our version of the story the character of Hild is left wholly undeveloped. Indeed the writers of the Romantic Sagas are always so much more interested in incident than in character that highly individualised personality is rare. Even when as in the case of Hervoer, the very nature of the story presents an interesting and somewhat unusual personality, we are sometimes left with a feeling of dissatisfaction and a conviction that the writer did not realise the full merits and possibilities of his material. Hoegni is the usual type of hot-headed implacable sea-rover. The character of Hethin, however, presents some interesting features and strikes us as more modern in conception. Naturally gentle of disposition, he had been forced by malignant powers into a situation foreign to his nature. Hardly characteristic of a viking chief are his genuine regret for the harm he had done and his anxiety that the men of Hoegni and himself should not be called upon to forfeit their lives for his “crimes and misdeeds.” The conventional viking, clear-eyed and purely material in his view of life, would have stayed to brave out the consequences. Hethin only wished “to go away somewhere a long way off, where he would not each day have his wicked deeds cast in his teeth.” His remorse had broken him down. “You will find it an easy matter to slay me when I am left alive last of all!”

The motif of the Everlasting Battle is not confined the story of Hethin and Hoegni. Parallels can be found in many literatures, both ancient and modern.

This thattr has been translated into English under the title of The Tale of Hogni and Hedinn in Three Northern Love Stories by W. Morris and Eirikr Magnusson, London, 1875.

For a full bibliography of MSS., translations, and the general literature dealing with this saga, cf. Islandica, Vol. v, pp. 41, 42.

THE THATTR OF SOeRLI

I. To the East of Vanakvisl in Asia was a country called Asialand or Asiaheim. Its inhabitants were called AEsir and the chief city they called Asgarth. Othin was the name of their King, and it was a great place for heathen sacrifices. Othin appointed Njoerth and Frey as priests. Njoerth had a daughter called Freyja who accompanied Othin and was his mistress. There were four men in Asia called Alfregg, Dvalin, Berling and Grer, who dwelt not far from the King’s hall, and who were so clever that they could turn their hands to anything. Men of this kind were called dwarfs. They dwelt in a rock, but at that time they mixed more with men than they do now. Othin loved Freyja very much, and she was the fairest of all women in her day. She had a bower of her own which was beautiful and strong, and it was said that if the door was closed and bolted, no-one could enter the bower against her will.

It chanced one day that Freyja went to the rock and found it open, and the dwarfs were forging a gold necklace, which was almost finished. Freyja was charmed with the necklace, and the dwarfs with Freyja. She asked them to sell it, offering gold and silver and other costly treasures in exchange for it. The dwarfs replied that they were not in need of money, but each one said that he would give up his share in the necklace.... And at the end of four nights they handed it to Freyja. She went home to her bower and kept silence about it as if nothing had happened.

II. There was a man called Farbauti who was a peasant and had a wife called Laufey. She was thin and meagre, and so she was called ‘Needle.’ They had no children except a son who was called Loki. He was not a big man, but he early developed a caustic tongue and was alert in trickery and unequalled in that kind of cleverness which is called cunning. He was very full of guile even in his youth, and for this reason he was called Loki the Sly. He set off to Othin’s home in Asgarth and became his man. Othin always had a good word for him whatever he did, and often laid heavy tasks upon him, all of which he performed better than could have been expected. He also knew almost everything that happened, and he told Othin whatever he knew.

Now it is said that Loki got to know that Freyja had received the necklace ... and this he told to Othin. And when Othin heard of it he told Loki to fetch him the necklace. Loki said that there was not much hope of that, because no-one could get into Freyja’s bower against her will. Othin told him to go, and not come back without the necklace. So Loki went off howling, and everyone was glad that he had got into trouble.

He went to Freyja’s bower, but it was locked. He tried to get in but could not. The weather outside was very cold and he became thoroughly chilled. Then he turned himself into a fly, and flew around all the bolts and along the whole of the woodwork, but nowhere could he find a hole big enough to enter by, right up to the gable. He found only a hole no bigger than would allow of the insertion of a needle. Through this hole he crept. And when he got inside he stared around, wondering if anyone was awake. But he found that the room was all wrapped in slumber.

Then he went in and up to Freyja’s bed and found that she was wearing the necklace and that the clasp was underneath her. Loki thereupon turned himself into a flea and settled on Freyja’s cheek and stung her, till she awoke and turned over and went to sleep again. Then he laid aside his flea-form, drew the necklace from her gently, opened the door and departed, carrying the necklace to Othin.

When Freyja awoke in the morning she found that the door was open, though it had not been forced, and that her lovely necklace was gone. She had a shrewd idea of the trick that had been played on her, and when she was dressed she went into the hall to King Othin, and told him that he had done ill to rob her of her trinket, and begged him to return it.

Othin replied that considering how she had come by it she should never get it back:

“ Unless you bring about a quarrel between two kings, each of whom has twenty kings subject to him; so that they shall fight under the influence of such spells and charms that as fast as they fall they shall start up again and fight on unless there be some Christian man so brave and so much favoured by the great good fortune of his liege lord that he shall dare to take arms and enter among the combatants and slay them. Then and not till then shall the labours of those princes be brought to an end whoever may be the chief who is destined to free them from the oppression and toil of their disastrous lot.”

Freyja agreed to this and recovered the necklace.

III. Four and twenty years after the death of Frithfrothi a King called Erling ruled over the Highlands of Norway. He had a wife and two sons, of whom the elder was called Soerli the Strong, and the younger Erlend. They were promising young men. Soerli was the stronger of the two. As soon as they were old enough they took to raiding, and fought against the viking Sindri, the son of Sveigir, the son of Haki, a sea-king in the Skerries of the Elf. There fell Sindri the viking, and with him all his host; and Erlend the son of Erling also fell in that battle. After that Soerli sailed into the Baltic and harried there, and performed so many great deeds that it would take too long to recount them all.

IV. There was a King called Halfdan who ruled Denmark; and his capital was at Roskilde. He married Hvethna the elder, and their sons were Hoegni and Haakon. They were distinguished for their stature, strength and ability. As soon as they were old enough they took to piracy.

Now we must return to Soerli and relate how one autumn he set sail for Denmark. King Halfdan had been intending to go to a gathering of kings. He was far advanced in years at the time when the events related here took place. He had such a fine warship that for strength and excellence of every kind it had no equal in all the countries of the North. It was riding at anchor in the harbour, but King Halfdan had gone ashore to give orders for a carousal before starting on his voyage. And when Soerli saw the warship his heart was consumed with a burning desire to possess it at all possible hazards. And indeed it is generally agreed that there never was a greater treasure of a warship than this in all the countries of the North, except the warships Ellithi and Gnoeth and the Long Serpent.

So he ordered his men to prepare themselves for battle

“For we must slay King Halfdan and seize his warship.”

A man called Saevar, his fo’c’sle-man and marshal, made answer:

“That is not advisable, Sire, for Halfdan is a great chief and a famous man. Moreover he has two sons who will be certain to avenge him, for they are both very famous men already.”

“Though they be superior to the very gods,” said Soerli, “yet we shall fight just as we have done before.”

They prepared for battle, and the news reached King Halfdan. He started up and went with all his men to his ships, and they prepared them for battle at once. Some of Halfdan’s men protested to him that it was not advisable to fight, and suggested that he should take to flight as the odds were too heavy against them. The King replied that they would all fall dead one on the top of another before he would flee.

Both sides now prepared to give battle, and closed forthwith in a fierce combat, the result of which was that King Halfdan fell with all his host; and Soerli took possession of the warship and everything on it that was of value.

Then Soerli learned that Hoegni had returned from a raiding expedition and was lying off Odinso. Soerli set off thither with his ships, and when they met, he told him of the death of Halfdan, his father, and made him an offer of reconciliation on his own terms, suggesting also that they should become foster-brothers; but Hoegni declined all his offers. Then they joined battle, as is told in the poem dealing with Soerli. Haakon fought very boldly and slew Saevar, Soerli’s standard-bearer and fo’c’sle-man. Then Soerli slew Haakon, but Hoegni slew King Erling, Soerli’s father. After that Hoegni and Soerli fought together, and Soerli went down before Hoegni from weariness and wounds. And Hoegni afterwards caused him to be healed of his wounds, and they swore foster-brotherhood to one another, and both remained true to their oaths as long as they lived. Soerli was the first to die. He fell in the Baltic at the hands of vikings, as is told in the poem of which he is the subject.

And when Hoegni heard of Soerli’s death, he went raiding in the Baltic the same summer, and was victorious everywhere. He became king over those regions; and it is said that twenty kings were vassals to King Hoegni and paid him tribute. Hoegni became so famous on account of his great deeds and his raiding expeditions that his name was as well known in the north of Finland as away in Paris, and everywhere in between.

V. There was a King called Hjarrandi who ruled over Serkland. He had a wife and a son called Hethin, who quickly grew into a man remarkable for his strength, stature and ability. While still a youth he went on raiding expeditions and became a sea-king, harrying all round Spain and Greece and all the neighbouring kingdoms; so that he made twenty kings pay him tribute, holding their land and revenue as his vassals. In winter time Hethin used to stay at home in Serkland. It is said that on one occasion he went into a forest with his retinue. He left his men and found himself alone in a glade where he saw a woman, tall and fair, sitting on a throne. She spoke to him courteously, and when he asked her her name she said she was called Goendul. Then they talked together. She questioned him about his mighty deeds and he told her everything frankly and asked her whether she knew of any king to match himself in valour and hardihood, renown and prowess. She replied that she knew of one who did not fall short of him one who had twenty kings subject to him just as Hethin had; and she added that his name was Hoegni and that he lived in the North, in Denmark.

“I know one thing,” said Hethin; “we have got to prove which of us is the more valiant.”

“It is high time for you to return to your men,” said she; “they will be looking for you.”

Then they parted. He returned to his men, and she remained sitting there.

At the very beginning of spring, Hethin prepared to set out. He had a warship, and three hundred and sixty men in it, and he made for the northern part of the world. He sailed all that summer and the following winter, and at the beginning of spring he reached Denmark.

VI. King Hoegni was at home at that time; and when he heard that a famous king had come to his shores, he invited him to a magnificent banquet, and Hethin accepted the invitation. And as they sat drinking, Hoegni asked what motive brought Hethin so far north.

Hethin replied that his object was to compete with him in contests which would make trial of their courage and daring and all their prowess and skill.

Hoegni said he was ready for this; and early next morning they went swimming and shooting together. They rode a-tilt, and performed feats of arms and of skill of all kinds. And in all their exploits they were so equal that no-one could distinguish which was the better of the two. After that they swore foster-brotherhood to one another, and bound themselves to share everything equally.

Hethin was young and unmarried, but Hoegni was somewhat older. He had married Hervoer, the daughter of Hjoervarth, the son of Heithrek Ulfham. Hoegni had a daughter who was called Hild, and who excelled all other women in beauty and understanding. He loved his daughter exceedingly. He had no other children.

VII. It is said that a little later Hoegni went on a raiding expedition while Hethin stayed behind to look after his kingdom. It chanced one day that Hethin went into a forest to pass the time. The weather was mild. He again wandered away from his men. He came upon a forest glade, and there he saw sitting on a throne the same woman whom he had seen before in Serkland only now he thought her even fairer than before. She was again the first to speak and chattered to him gaily. She was holding a horn with a lid to it. The King fell in love with her. She offered him a drink and he felt thirsty, as he had grown warm; so he took the horn and drank; and when he had drunk, a very wonderful change came over him, for he remembered nothing that had happened to him previously. He then sat down and talked to her.

She asked him if what she had said to him before of the skill and courage of Hoegni had proved true and Hethin replied that it was true enough “for he did not come short of me in any feat that we tried, and so we declared ourselves a match.”

“Yet you two are not equal,” said she.

“And why not?” asked Hethin.

“For this reason,” replied she: “Hoegni has married a wife of high birth, whereas you have no wife.”

He replied: “Hoegni will marry me to Hild his daughter as soon as I like to ask him, and then I shall be as well married as he.”

“Your honour will be impaired,” said she, “if you ask Hoegni for a marriage alliance. If, as you profess, you lack neither courage nor valour, you would do better to carry off Hild by force, and put the Queen to death by taking her and laying her down in front of the prow of your warship, and letting it cut her in two when it is launched.”

The wickedness and forgetfulness contained in the ale which Hethin had drunk had so got the better of him that there seemed to him to be no alternative, and he had not the slightest recollection that he and Hoegni were ‘foster-brothers.’

Presently they parted, and Hethin went back to his men. This took place in the late summer.

Then Hethin ordered his men to get ready the warship, saying that he intended to go home to Serkland. Then he went into the ladies’ bower and took the Queen and Hild by either hand and led them out. Hild’s clothes and jewels were also taken. There was no-one in the kingdom who had the courage to do anything; for they were afraid of Hethin and his men he glowered so fiercely.

Hild asked Hethin what his intention was, and he told her. She besought him to think better of it, adding:

“My father will marry me to you if you ask him for me.”

“Ask for you?” echoed Hethin; “I will never do that.”

“And,” she continued, “if you really must carry me off, even so my father will make it up with you. But if you do anything so wicked and unmanly as to put my mother to death, my father will never make it up with you. I have had a warning in dreams that you two will fight and slay one another. Yet I am afraid that there must be something still more terrible in store. It will be a great sorrow to me if I have to be the means of exposing my father to the ruinous effects of magic spells; nor shall I have any joy in seeing you in difficulties and toils.”

Hethin replied that he cared not at all for the consequences, and that he would do as he had threatened.

“You cannot mend it now,” said Hild, “because in this case you are not your own master.”

Then Hethin went down to the sea-shore, and now was the warship launched. He thrust the Queen down in front of the prow, so that she perished. Hethin stepped into the warship. And when it was quite ready, he took it into his head to land alone, leaving his men behind; and he went into the same forest where he had gone before. And when he came into the glade, there he saw Goendul seated on her throne. They greeted one another cordially. Hethin told her what he had done and she expressed her approval.

She had with her the horn which she had carried before, and she offered him a drink from it. He took it and drank; and when he had drunk, sleep fell upon him, and he let his head sink into her lap. And when he had fallen asleep, she slipped away from under his head, saying:

“Now I devote both you and Hoegni and all your followers, and lay you under all the spells imposed by Othin.”

Then Hethin awoke and saw the fleeting shadow of Goendul, but she appeared to him now to be big and black; and he recalled everything and realised how much mischief he had done. He decided now to go away somewhere a long way off, where he would not each day have his wicked deeds cast in his teeth. So he went to his ship, and made haste to free her from her moorings. A fair breeze was blowing off the land, and so he sailed away with Hild.

VIII. When Hoegni returned home, he learnt that Hethin had sailed away with Hild and the warship Halfdanarnaut, leaving the dead body of the Queen in his tracks. Hoegni was furious and bade his men start up on the spot and sail in pursuit of Hethin. This they did, and a fair breeze sprang up. Every evening they reached the harbour from which Hethin had sailed away in the morning.

It happened one day that as Hoegni was making for a harbour, Hethin’s sails were sighted out at sea; so Hoegni and his men gave chase. As a matter of fact, it is said that at this point Hethin got a head wind against him, whereas Hoegni had the luck to have a fair wind as before. Hethin then lay to off an island called Hoy, and there he rode at anchor. Hoegni quickly came alongside, and when they met, Hethin greeted him courteously.

“I must tell you, foster-brother,” said Hethin, “that so great a misfortune has come upon me that no-one save you can remedy it. I have carried off your daughter and your warship, and put your wife to death, yet from no personal wickedness of my own, but rather from promptings of evil spirits and wicked spells. My wish now is that you shall have your own way entirely in this matter between yourself and me. I also offer to give up to you both Hild and the warship, and all the men and money contained in it, and to go to such distant lands that I can never return to the North nor into your sight as long as I live.”

Hoegni replied: “Had you asked me for Hild I would have married her to you; and even in spite of your having carried her off by force we might have made up our quarrel. Now, however, since you have been guilty of such an outrage as to put the Queen to death in a most shameful manner, I certainly will not make terms with you. We will try here, on the spot, which of us is the more valiant fighter.”

Hethin replied: “It would be best, if nothing less than fighting will satisfy you, that we two should measure our strength alone; for you have no quarrel with any man here save with me. There is no use in making innocent men pay for my crimes and evil deeds.”

Their followers all swore with one accord that they would rather fall dead in heaps than that they two should exchange blows alone. And when Hethin saw that nothing would satisfy Hoegni, save that they should fight, he ordered his men to land, saying:

“I will no longer hold back from Hoegni, nor make excuses to avoid fighting. Let every man bear himself bravely!”

They thereupon landed and fell to fighting. Hoegni was full of fury, but Hethin was both dexterous with his weapons and mighty in his stroke. It is told for fact that so potent was the evil charm in the spell that even when they had cloven one another to the very shoulders, yet they started up as before and went on fighting. Hild sat in a grove and watched the battle.

This harrowing torment continued to oppress them from the time when they began to fight until Olaf Tryggvason became King of Norway. It is said to have gone on for a hundred and forty-three years, until it fell to the lot of this famous man that one of his retinue released them from their grievous calamities and tragic doom.

IX. In the first year of King Olaf’s reign, it is said that he came one evening to the island of Hoy and anchored there. It was a regular occurrence in the neighbourhood of this island that watchmen disappeared every night, and no-one knew what had become of them. On this particular night it was Ivar the Gleam who kept guard. And when all the men on the ships were asleep, Ivar took the sword that Jarnskjoeld had had and that Thorstein his son had given him, and all his armour, and went up on to the island. And when he had landed on the island he saw a man coming towards him. He was very tall and covered with blood, and his face was full of sorrow. Ivar asked him his name, and he replied that he was called Hethin, the son of Hjarrandi, and that he had come of a stock in far Serkland, adding:

“I am telling you the truth when I say that the vanishing of the watchmen must be laid to the charge of me and Hoegni, the son of Halfdan. For we and our men have been laid under such powerful and destructive spells that we go on fighting night and day; and this has continued for many generations, while Hild, the daughter of Hoegni, sits and looks on. It is Othin who has laid this spell upon us; and our only hope of redemption is that a Christian man should give battle to us. When that occurs, he whom the Christian slays shall not stand up again; and so will each one be freed from his distress. Now I would pray you that you will come to fight with us, because I know that you are a good Christian, and also that the King whom you serve is very lucky. I have a feeling too that we shall get some good from him and his men.”

Ivar agreed to go with him.

Hethin was glad at that and said:

“You must take care not to encounter Hoegni face to face, and also not to slay me before you slay him; because no mortal man can encounter Hoegni face to face and slay him if I die before him, for the glance of his eye strikes terror and spares none. Therefore this is the only way: I will attack him in front and engage him in battle, while you go behind and give him his death stroke. You will find it an easy matter to slay me, when I am left alive last of all.”

Then they went into the battle, and Ivar saw that all that Hethin had told him was quite true. He went behind Hoegni and struck him on the head, and clove his skull down to the shoulders, whereupon Hoegni fell down dead and never rose up again. After that he slew all the men who were fighting, and last of all he slew Hethin, which was no great task.

When he returned to the ships the day was dawning. He went to the King and told him what he had done. The King was very well pleased with his work and told him that he had had great good luck. Next day they landed and made their way to the spot where the battle had taken place; but they saw no sign of what had happened there. Yet the bloodstains on Ivar’s sword were visible proofs; and never again did watchmen disappear on that coast.

After that the King went home to his realm.